Style: White Wine

Producer: Big Table Farm

Grape: 100% Chardonnay

Where: Willamette Valley, Oregon

Country: USA

Critic tasting note: (2021 vintage) "The Wild Bee represents one of the best Willamette Valley Chardonnay values around. I'd happily pay $50-$60 for this bottle. Aromas of lemon verbena, chamomile and Meyer lemons start the show, followed by lavender lemonade and lightly buttered toast flavors. A crisp mouthfeel complements the Bee's stinging acidity." - Wine Enthusiast

Tasting notes from the winemaker: "Reminiscent of a misty morning stroll on the coast, this intriguing chardonnay deftly balances sprightly vibrance with soothing comfort. Aromas of freshly sliced yellow apple, orange blossom and crushed seashells casually entice the senses. Warming impressions of lemon panna cotta and honeycomb develop on the palate before gently drifting away, leaving an essence of freshly baked brioche and apricot jam."

Organic Farming

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About the Wine: 1133 cases produced. unfined and unfiltered. release date: February 28th, 2023. Label – charcoal drawing of a ‘wild’ bee by April Coppini

"We love chardonnay and we love making it.  So straightforward and yet delicious at the same time.  Like the Willamette Valley Pinot, the Wild Bee is comprised of all the vineyards we work with, 7 in 2021, so a true representation of the Willamette Valley.  Brian visits each site regularly and makes picking decisions mostly using his palate.  He usually waits until he tastes flavors of ripeness and looks for signals in the grape (browning seeds, softening skins) and vine (some browning leaves) – and of course what the imminent weather presents." 

About the producer: Clare Carver & Brian Marcy.

Clare is an artist and farmer. Brian is the winemaker. In addition to partnering with Brian to market the wine and manage their 70 acres, Clare is also a painter and wine label designer. Her fine art speaks for itself. Clare's first passion is her painting, but she finds great joy in caring for all the animals on the farm and working with her draft horses. In 1996 Brian worked his first harvest. Having studied fermentation science at Davis, he took to the process of wine-making easily and loved it. Brian lived and worked in Napa and Sonoma, for 10 years before He and Clare took the leap to come to Oregon. Brian's time in Oregon has been informed by living and breathing not only wine-making but farming here in the Willamette Valley. This close relationship with his farm and our vineyards has been an important contribution to Brian’s ability to optimize each vintage. Brian is a relentless artist in his diligent pursuit of perfection, always striving to improve our wines each year.